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I spent quite a while staring at the blank screen in front of me to come up with a fitting description of A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. Should I compare it to the classic Lord of the Rings for its impressively epic scope? Would it be best to focus on the honest, often painful humanity of the many characters - so rare in a fantasy novel - that personalizes each point of view? Perhaps I could impress other customers here with the sheer brilliance of a plot that weaves so many seemingly disparate stories together to form a believable alternate universe in which not only politics, intrigue, war, adventure and romance can coexist plausibly, but magic as well. How could I do such a work justice? I might as well get this part out of the way first. Obligatory Synopsis: in a fantasy continent that bears a familiarity to Middle Ages England, Winter is coming. Winter in this world means a sort of mini ice age that will last for seven years before receding. In the always-frosty Northern area, the races of nonhuman beings are gathering to advance with the snows; there are hints that there is an ancient, evil power behind their forces. At the same time in the South, political infighting for the Throne has begun. Overseas, the daughter of the dispossessed former King is maneuvering forces of her own for a bid for the throne. All this is told through the various stories of both "good guys" and not-so-good guys. For starters, AGOT can't be accurately compared to any other book or series in the Fantasy genre (not without insulting it). The nearest thing of its type is the laborious Wheel of Time series by Jordan - see what I mean? And yet this first in the Song of Ice and Fire series is fathoms above that aimless, droning style. Martin has perfected what Jordan had arguably introduced; the multiple characters' points of view telling the vast saga on an intimate, up-close scale. Never did I feel that I was being strung along, but rather lead by increments toward an incredible revelation somewhere up ahead. Martin builds the suspense masterfully in each book. But by far the most striking thing about the Song of Ice and Fire is the "rules" that the author breaks. Martin is not afraid to tell the tale from the point of view of some very unlikable, even immoral characters. He is bold about revealing facts from a character's past that challenge one's impressions and assumptions about their ethics. He does not lay all his cards on the table up front, but rather unexpectedly reveals details that later change the whole picture and twist the plot admirably. And his most unusual move: this author even allows "favorites" to die occasionally (no names here...)! These risks pay off well to serve the story as a whole, bring a sense of true humanity to the people of this world and drive the reader on to the next series installment. It's just too bad that I can't magically transplant my sense of admiration for AGOT onto this page. Hopefully, you are intrigued enough to give it a try; it would be a shame to miss what IMHO could be the best series of the decade.Read full review
After watching the HBO production of the first of these books, I knew I didn't want to wait for the next installment in 2012, so I bought this set. By the time I read the fourth book, a few things were obvious. First and foremost, Martin will kill any character or destroy any castle, no matter how prominent a role they have played in the story line to that point. He elevates minor characters to major, relegates major characters to minor roles, and in the case of the fourth book here, he leaves entire story lines out of one book so as to concentrate on the others, intending to come back to the others in a subsequent book. Another trait is the amount of time and wors he uses to describe every meal eaten by characters main and ancillary. I don't want a book to make me hungry, and these often do, although some of the food descriptions do leave me a bit squeamish. The thing I like most about this set is the ambiguity of the good vs bad. He gets into the minds of so many characters, giving events from their perspectives, until he has blurred the lines between the heroes and the villains so thoroughly that you can find yourself rooting for someone you were cursing in the previous book. This is a perfect fit for the type of show HBO presents, with evil characters having some heroic traits, enough to make you care for them and their lives. I now must go buy the fifth installment, read it, and then wait for six and seven to be written. I wish HBO had waited until all the books were written! Now I have to wait years to get a denouement on this excellent series.Read full review
I have been avidly reading the collection A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin which I get from my local library and am enjoying immensely. I liked it so much that I bought the collection for my 17 year old niece for Christmas. She was thoroughly pleased when she opened her gift and said that her friends and teachers were all praising it in school. The story line is captivating and I find myself 'rooting' for different characters, even though they do frightening things- I have to remind myself that the story takes place in a frightening time. The author's style of writing is mesmerizing and it is easy to visualize a character, an event, the places in my mind and I almost want to be there! Knowing that the books have been made into a movie, I am eager to see that as well as read the books!Read full review
Never have I read a series with more intricate layers of the past affecting the present plot lines. The past is very slowly revealed to us, and motives and explanations take a while to surface. I can't believe we still don't know the full back story by the 3rd book, nor do we even have the events of the first book adequately explained by the third book. (But we're getting there...) Never have I ever read a book where the character's wounds actually affect them for a while and take a long time to heal. Never have I been more surprised at where certain characters end up; just when you think you know what's going to happen, GRRM abruptly shifts tracks. Never have I gasped out loud more while reading a book, nor felt such elation at the characters' victories, and despair at their tragedies. I recommend this series to any reader! These are my first books into the fantasy genre and I love them!Read full review
I purchased the boxed set of “Game of Thrones” after having watched the first season presented on HBO. The final episode brought me to the conclusion that I was not going to wait a year to find out what happened next! The set was priced right. The shipping was prompt. I am enjoying the novels (which have been followed quite accurately). I must admit, I am partial to fantasy stories involving steel, sex and intrigue…not particularly in that order. So far, it's a good story. Thank you, Konrad
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